Tag Archives: Greg Stumbo

A plan to redraw all 100 Kentucky House districts is being pegged as unfair to Republicans because it forces up to nine GOP incumbents to run against each other. The plan cleared the State Government Committee today despite complaints from Republicans. The new districts would put the following legislators into campaigns against each other: 9th District: […]

The speaker of the Kentucky state House says a special legislative session on redistricting could be in order this year. Speaker Greg Stumbo says he would prefer to redraw the legislative boundaries before next year’s regular session Special sessions cost more than $60,000 per day. And Governor Steve Beshear has previously said he would support […]

The Senate vote was 22-15, along party lines, with Republicans voting Aye and Democrats voting Nay. On Monday, the House voted 94-4 for a different version of the bill, but there are some similarities. So now, House and Senate negotiators will try to reach a compromise. House Speaker Greg Stumbo says cuts to education in the Senate plan are a deal breaker.

The bill still allows Governor Steve Beshear to shift Medicaid funds forward, but if projected savings from managed care fail to materialize, targeted cuts to state agencies would have to be made by October 1st. Education, vocational rehabilitation and veterans affairs would be exempt from any cuts.

Stumbo says the House Appropriations and Revenue committee wants to hear how budget cuts recommended by Senate Republicans will affect state agencies. “And that’s why we likely will not get through this week,” he says. “There’s been no testimony at all about what impact that will have on other agencies that have already been severely reduced over a billion dollars in spending to our state government’s functions.”

At the behest of the House, the conference committee revisited Governor Beshear’s plan for balancing the Medicaid budget. Two hours later, the conferees were no closer to agreement than when they started Friday night. So, House Speaker Greg Stumbo offered a compromise.

After the House proposed a way to close a $166 million gap in the Medicaid budget without across-the-board cuts to state agencies, the Senate made a counter-proposal. It still includes across-the-board cuts, but they’re smaller, says Senate President David Williams.